Chapter 43

Chapter 43

Nikki

His mouth crushes against mine, the intensity and rawness of the kiss jarring me at first, but I quickly melt into him. I’m breathless by the time he pulls his head back. But I fall hard, losing everything else around us, when he kisses me again, this time beautifully gentle. Our eyes locked, he gazes at me as he worships my mouth with feather-light kisses from one corner all the way around and back again. Then he kisses me so deeply, so full of emotion that he steals my heart along with my breath.

We stay that way for a long time. Stealing kisses and smiles, as the daylight turns to darkness and the moon shines brightly over us. “I almost forgot.” Zack reaches into his pocket and pulls out a box. “Happy Valentine’s Day.”

A beautiful antique heart locket. Zack opens it for me. “I thought maybe you could put a picture of your Mom on one side and you on the other, so you’re always next to each other.” He smiles.

“I’d love that. Thank you.”

There’s an inscription on the back, but it’s too dark and I can’t make out the words. “I can’t read it,” I say in a soft voice. “What does it say?”

Zack stares at me. I see his throat work to swallow before he speaks. “It says love needs no words. You had me before you even spoke.” He pauses, slipping the chain over my neck. “Now you have both my hearts.”

Tears stream down my cheeks. He wipes them away. “Can you please not cry.”

“But they’re good tears, not bad tears.”

“Still. It kills me to see any tears on your beautiful face.”

I smile. He lifts the locket from between my cleavage. “I like where it falls,” he grins devilishly while fingering the heart on the chain where it dangles.

“I have another present.”

“Another one?”

He reaches into his other pocket and pulls out something. “Happy Birthday.”

“Is that…?”

“Yes.” He smiles. “Oh my god. How did you know where to find it?”

“Ashley mentioned you sold a ring your Aunt gave you. So I made your Aunt go to every pawn store in the area to help me find it.”

My Aunt. I feel badly for disappearing on her, even though she kept so many secrets from me. “How is Aunt Claire?” I ask.

“Worried about you. She’s really pretty broken up over you finding out and her not being the one to tell you.”

“She could have told me herself.”

“I know.” He kisses me gently on the lips. “It doesn’t mean she doesn’t love you and hasn’t been worried. She needs to explain it to you herself, but she was trying to protect you.”

The sunlight gone, a northeast wind blows strong at the top of the tower. The breeze makes me shiver. “Come on. Let’s get out of here. I’ll call Keller to come get us.”

“Keller?”

“Yeah. He decided I invited him on this road trip.”

“Did you?”

“No.”

We both laugh. As we turn to descend the narrow steps, Zack slips a folded piece of paper into my hand as he takes it. Today I don’t wait to read it until he leaves. I stop and open it smiling up at him. I missed you. Looking deep into his eyes, I tell him, “I missed you too.”